* Pick up [[Items]] off the [[Ground]], off a [[Transport belts|Transport belt]], or from any object that has [[Storages/Stack|stacks]] (eg. [[Storages/Chests]], [[Furnace]]s, [[Assembling machine]]s)
* '''Pick up''' [[Items]] off the [[Ground]], off a [[Transport belts|Transport belt]], or from any object that has [[Storages/Stack|stacks]] (eg. [[Storages/Chests]], [[Furnace]]s, [[Assembling machine]]s)
* Place the moved item onto the ground, on a transport belt, or into any object that has stacks.
* '''Place''' the moved item onto the ground, on a transport belt, or into any object that has stacks.
[[File:inserter.jpg|350px]]
[[File:Mpstark-5ceWt8I.gif]]
=== Inserter mechanics ===
=== Inserter mechanics ===
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* For smelting, [[Furnace]]s have the same limits as assemblers. Example: no more than 10 x [[Iron plate]] is accepted for smelting into [[Steel plate]].
* For smelting, [[Furnace]]s have the same limits as assemblers. Example: no more than 10 x [[Iron plate]] is accepted for smelting into [[Steel plate]].
=== Placing ===
=== Placing on transport belts ===
*Transport belts: Inserters will always place the item on the further lane.
* Inserters will '''always''' place the item on the further lane.
* [http://www.factorioforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3920 for orthogonal belts, inserter place items in the direction of their rotation]. This is by default up for horizontal or left for vertical placed inserters. When taking from a belt, they can change sometimes this direction!
: [[File:Mpstark-5RdLql0.gif]]
* Inserters '''prefer''' taking items on the near lane.
: [[File:Mpstark-8pfqtMV.gif]]
* [http://www.factorioforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3920 for orthogonal belts, inserter place items in the direction of their rotation]. This is by default up for horizontal or left for vertical placed inserters.
: '''When taking from a belt''', they might change this initial direction!
: [[File:Mpstark-0XL7KBq.gif]]
* Inserters can place items on
** All types of conveyor belts
** Underground-belt (entry and exit) [[File:Mpstark-UayT5wJ.gif|right|top]]
** Curves, but their behavior is then very "special" and the items have a big chance to block.
** They cannot place on splitter
* Inserters can pick up from
** Splitters
** First half of the conveyor belt
* Inserters have problems to pick up
** from fast belts, cause the items are moving too fast for them.
Inserters are the fundamental structures of a factory, and are a vital component in almost all contraptions. They look and work like a robot-arm and take items from behind and place them in front of it, if the object in front of it has enough space to accomodate for it.
Inserters will act differently depending on what they are moving items to/into so as not to monopolize all of the items being picked up and allow other machines and inserters on the same transport belt to have items.
Insertion Limits
Inserters will not insert into certain buildings if they already have, or are above of, a certain amount of items; it will simply seize to function until space has been made, and it will resume insertion. It's not possible for a inserter to overfill, or spill, items.
For example, if a boiler has 5 pieces of fuel in it, then an inserter will not insert additional fuel until it has 4 or less.
